Pumpkin Seed Milk
February 12, 2013
This pumpkin seed milk recipe is easy to make, loaded with nutrients, and is fantastic in smoothies, desserts and savory recipes, and on savory granola.
Pumpkin Seed Milk
This pumpkin seed milk recipe is easy to make, loaded with nutrients, and is fantastic in smoothies, desserts and savory recipes, and on savory granola.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients
unsweetened pumpkin seed milk:
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, soaked for 8 hours
- 3 cups filtered water
- Pinch of Celtic sea salt
sweetened milk (unsweetened milk, plus below):
- 1/4 cup pitted dates (or 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup), plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon sunflower lecithin (optional)
Instructions
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To soak the pumpkin seeds, place them in a glass or ceramic bowl or large glass jar, and cover with filtered water. Add 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt and splash of fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, cover the container with a breathable kitchen towel, and allow to soak at room temperature for 8 hours. (For more information on soaking read here.)
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Drain, and discard the soaking liquid (do not use this to make the milk). Rinse the pumpkin seeds several times to remove the anti-nutrients and enzyme inhibitors.
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Throw the rinsed pumpkin seeds, water, and salt in your blender, and blast on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until the nuts are completely pulverized. Use whole milk to maximize nutrition. Or strain for a smoother, more commercial-style milk for use in recipes.
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To strain, place a nut milk bag or knee-high piece of sheer nylon hosiery over the opening of a glass bowl, jar or jug. Pour the milk into the bag, twisting the bag closed, and gently squeezing it to pass the liquid through. Empty the almond pulp aside. You can dehydrate this for use in smoothies or to make crusts. Or make this quick easy body scrub.
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Rinse your blender container, and pour the strained milk back in. Add the vanilla, sweetener, and any flavorings, and blast again, until smooth and creamy.
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Store the milk in a sealed container in the fridge. Activated pumpkin seed milk (made with soaked pumpkin seeds) will keep for 2 to 3 days in a very cold fridge. Un-soaked pumpkin seed milk will keep for about 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Learn more about making homemade milks
Photo by Trent Lanz; styling by Alicia Buszczak
Comments 26
Love nut milk! Thanks for these recipes . So refreshing and easy!
Me too! I just couldn’t live without my nut, seed, and grain milks. YUMMO!
Out of all of the nut and grain milks, which is your favorite?
Oh…that is a tough one! I really love to mix it up and enjoy them all. BUT, if I had to pick just one, it would have to be almond milk. I just cannot get enough it that liquid heaven!
this is fabulous! can’t imagine why anyone would strain it, my vitamix obliterated those pumpkin seeds. so far this batch has lasted 4 days. i can’t wait to make cashew and macadamia milk!
i do have a question .. do you think it would be okay/safe to heat any of these milks? i work at a coffee shop and would love a little steamed seed/nut milk in my coffee.
SO glad you enjoyed this milk. I don’t strain mine either. But some people like a super smooth milk. You can warm plant based milks. I often gently warm my almond milk and add some turmeric for a great sleep aid. Just know, that they are best consumed raw to preserve the delicate oils and enzymes. However, you can absolutely heat them a little for warm drinks. Just try not to bring them to the boil for the best results. Enjoy 🙂
Is your recipe for liquid lecithin or the granules? If not the granules, what amount of those would you recommend for this recipe?
You can absolutely use lecithin granules in any milks. Use about one tablespoon per recipe.
What is the lecithin for ?
I have made different types of seed and nut milks and I have found that the seed milks are not as tasty as the nut ones are but you reap their health benefits and can use it in smoothies. I like almond milk on its own and sometimes don’t want to “waste” it on smoothies. If you have some raw nuts or seeds around, it could be worth it. Don’t forget to repurpose the pulp!
Yes, I agree. The seed milks do have a stronger flavour, but are so tasty in smoothies and offer nutritional diversity and density. Yes, always repurpose the pulp. You can make so many fabulous cookies and treats with it. YUMMO!
Just discovered your website! I don’t have a Vitamix, but I have a NutriBullet that I bought specifically to grind seeds for my shakes. Will this suffice?
Yes. You can absolutely make this in a nutribullet. You may have to do it in batches and then strain and stir together. Enjoy.
is it possible to replace bananas for dates?
You could absolutely blend in a bit of banana to sweeten and flavour the milk. Just know, that there will be a pronounced banana flavour. But, it’s delicious. Enjoy !
Just made my first pumpkin seed milk and what I can say is that it’s truly delicious! I enjoyed half a glass and the rest will be used for a smoothie. Anyone some good recipe? I have bananas, coconut, kiwis, apples.
So glad you enjoyed the pumpkin seed milk. Yes! Apple and banana are great in smoothies with this milk. Enjoy!
Loved this milk! I doubled the lecithin. Really thankful to have it as a part of my paleo diet!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it.
Do you use the water that the pumpkin seeds soaked in for this recipe, or do you discard the soaking water and use fresh filtered water before blending? Thanks 🙂
No you can get rid of that water. I’ve taken out the lecithin completely and it tastes a lot better.
Always discard the soaking water. It contains anti-nutrients that are toxic. Use fresh filtered water for blending. James, yes, the flavor does depend on the brand of lecithin that you use. Great that you tried both versions. Thanks for the feedback.
Theres a typo error in directions #2 where you use the word almond instead of pumkin seeds
Thanks Juli, I really appreciate you telling me. I always have almonds on the brain. I’ve corrected it.
Just made a second batch of this milk! I used the whole raw pumpkin seed with shells. 1 cup pumpkin seeds soaked overnight (drain water and rinse), then threw them in the Vitamix with: 4 cups water, a couple shakes of pumpkin pie spice, 4 large dates, a splash of vanilla, and sprinkle of pink salt. Then, I used a nut bag to strain and store it in a glass mason jar in the fridge.
It doesn’t have a strong pumpkin seed taste to me. My husband doesn’t like pumpkin seeds, but he enjoyed this milk. Tastes like a creamy blend of almond and cashew milk. The pumpkin pie spice and vanilla give it a nice holiday flavor. I expect it would taste amazing with coffee. I’ve been adding it to my Vega mocha protein shake (half milk and half water); SO good! Next, I plan to make some hot coco with it.
Christine, thank you so much for sharing your experience. Your blend sounds absolutely delicious. I am going to blend it up this week! Yum….